Electric conductor.



No. 854.217 PATENTED MAY 21 1907.

v 0. T, HUNGERFORD,

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15,1901.

COPPER WIRE FELTED A/V/MAL. FIBRE,

mmmtoz UNITED *sT T s PATENT orrron.

OLIVER HUNeERroRD,""ortBELLnvrLLE, NEW-JERSEY.

ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR.

' To, wZZ whmn it may coficern:

Be' it known that I, -OLI VER T. HUNGER- Ferm, a citizen of the United States of Amerlea}, residing at'Belleville, county. of Essex, yd State of New'Jersey, have invented a f ew and useful Improvement. 'in} Insulated Electric Conductors, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to an-insulated electric conductor consisting of a metallic wire inclosed in felt saturated. with an electrical insulating and Waterproofing compound.

The object of the invention is to produce an insulated conductor having a non-striated covering, the density of which can be con trolled, with the interstices filled with a waterproofing and insulating compound.

The conductor which is illustrated and described as embodying the invention has a metallic wire covered with matted or felted fibers saturated with an insulating and wa terproofing compound.

The figure of the drawings shows a central longitudinal section of a portion of anelectric conductor embodying the invention.

The wire a is referably copper but may be any other meta which is a good conductor of r'electricityj Surrounding the wire is a covering b of felted ormatted fibers. This covering is made of what is commerciallyknown as felt, that is, wool, fur or hair or a mixture of such animal fibers compacted by rolling, by pressure, or by shrinking. It is preferred to felt this covering as an integral case upon the wire, that is, to felt the fibers directly upon the wire so that there will be no seam. This felt is saturated with an electrical insulating and waterproofingcompound .which may be an as haltum or resinous compound containing pu verized silica, talc, or kaolin.

A felt cover is non-striated, that is, the

fibers run in all directions and the interstices Specification f Letters Patent. Applicatipn filed February 15, I901. Serial No- 47,438.

Patented May 21, 1907.

are irregular and do not extend'in any particular direction. stices between the fibers hold the insulating compound more securely than where the.in terstices are regular as in acovering which is woven or braided. There is considerable elasticity to felted fibers and the character istic of animal fibers, whereby they can be felted, also aids in retaining the insulatin com ound. Such fibers are stiff, strong and yiel ing and forma good protecting insulation for the wire. .The quantity of insulating compound applied can be governed by regulating the compression of the felted fibers. If thefibers are compressed solidly they will hold but a certain quantity of compound. Ifv they are loose they will hold more compound. The insulating compound can be applied to the felted fibers and allowed to harden so that. the fibers will not quickly wear off from the wire. Y

The invention claimed is 1. An insulated electric conductor comprising a wire free from adhesive coating, a

felt covering .for said wire, said felt. being mounted directly upon the cleanvsurface of said wire and matted thereon without seam, and a water-proof insulating compound filling the irregular interstices between the fibers composing said felt, substantially, as

' set forth.

These irregular inter- 

